1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing system, and more particularly, to a substrate processing system suitable for collecting data from a substrate processing apparatus at a high frequency.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A substrate processing apparatuses such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is configured by a number of components, and since lifetimes or failure rates of the components are different, a process for stably operating the components of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is a key process in semiconductor manufacture. Therefore, current semiconductor manufacturing factories are required to collect data very frequently from semiconductor manufacturing systems for the purposes of manufacturing management, performance and operation rate/fault detection management.
However, in a system configured to control a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, since more components are required to be timely controlled at a high frequency, it is difficult for the system using an existing structure to output collected data at a high frequency level required by a semiconductor manufacturing factory.
In a conventional method, data are collected directly to an external storage medium, and the collected data are used by offline (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). However, this method is not preferable in the current online.
So as to perform a film-forming process on a semiconductor substrate, a semiconductor manufacturing system sets a sequence prescribing time and components. For example, the semiconductor manufacturing system performs a controlling operation in accordance with a recipe. Such a recipe prescribes a control sequence of temperature/pressure/gas for a furnace in which a film is formed on a semiconductor substrate, and sub controllers such as a temperature controller and a pressure controller, or other components such as an MFC or a valve used to select gas or control the flowrate of gas are sequentially controlled according to the recipe. In some semiconductor manufacturing systems, driving control for loading and unloading a semiconductor substrate on which a film is to be formed into and away from a furnace is also prescribed in a recipe
FIG. 22 illustrates the structure of a conventional substrate processing system.
In the drawing, MCs 30A and 30B are module controllers configured to control a substrate processing apparatus 10. An OU 40 is an operation unit configured to edit recipes. Transportation of a semiconductor substrate to/from a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, selection from a plurality of recipes, and starting operation can be regulated by the OU 40; however, automation of these operations is increased in the recent online and requests from a HOST 60 installed in a semiconductor factory. Interface between a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus system and a semiconductor manufacturing factory is carried out by an HU 50. Generally, the substrate processing apparatus 10, the MCs 30A and 30B, the OU 40, the HU 50, and the HOST 60 are connected through a network.
However, since the above-described substrate processing system is connected through a general network connection, data such as temperature, pressure, gas, and driving control data could not be collected at a high speed.
Therefore, for the purpose of high speed data collection, recent semiconductor manufacturing factories require installation of another port different from the conventional HU 50 in a substrate processing system. An exemplary substrate processing system including an exclusive CU 70 for satisfying the requirement is exemplary illustrated in FIG. 23.
In FIG. 23, an MC 30 and a substrate processing apparatus 10 are connected not through a general network such as ETHERNET but through a wiring saving system network (field network) specialized in device control. In addition, data acquired by the CU 70 is usually stored in a DB 80 so that the data can be extracted/analyzed at a proper time by a semiconductor manufacturing factory.
In addition, the HOST 60 or the DB 80 requires reports about various phenomena (events) or abnormal situations (exceptional situations) as well as trace data that can be collected from various components or the MC 30 to monitor apparatus conditions.
When an event or an exception occurs in the substrate processing system, it is necessary to perform a response operation such as performing the next operation of the event or stopping the system upon the exception. In addition, since it is necessary to properly manage the occurrence order of trace data/events/exceptions or the adjustment between the data, such data are required to be collected to the same place of the system. Thereafter, the data are sent to the HOST 60 or the DB 80 through the HU 50 or the CU 70.
However, in the substrate processing system, high-precision and high-frequency data transmission are difficult although the HOST 60 or the DB 80 requires high-precision and high-frequency data transmission for managing the occurrence order of data such as trace data/events/exceptions or the adjustment of such data. For example, in a substrate processing system, collection frequency of about 1 time/1 sec to 1 time/500 ms may be usually required as a necessary/sufficient control condition although the collection frequency may be varied according to the kinds of components or data. In some cases, data are collected at intervals of 100 ms or a higher frequency. However, such a collection frequency is merely for controlling operations and is usually internal collection frequency of the MC 30. In the case where high-precision and high-frequency data are transmitted to the HOST 60 or the DB 80 as well as the OU 40, since it is necessary to transmit the data at a high rate while continuously executing a plurality of programs, system load increases if even the OU 40 or CU 70 is involved in such transmission.    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 3630245
As described above, in a conventional substrate processing system, so as to realize high-precision and high-frequency data transmission, it is necessary to transmit data at a high rate while continuously executing a plurality of programs. However, since actual practice of this data transmission results in system load problems, it is difficult to provide appropriate data while properly managing data occurrence order of the data collected from various components or adjustment between the data.